Designing tattoos was my first calling, I must have been about 13 when I started buying tattoo mags and copying styles. My parents, let us free-spirited-teens decorate our rooms. I painted floor to ceiling designs over my walls and even plastered a few of my friends rooms too (the above is drawn in some sort of sharpie on a friends wall around '98/99).
I'd designed my own tattoo before I was old enough and by the time I was 20, I'd managed to design nine that others had permanently etched into their skin.
This style has crept into my graphic design and illustration too:
(illustrative club flyer)
(Graphic Designing @PRP)
A decade on and I'm seriously fighting of the urge not to get mine made bigger and better and more true to the 'me' I am now. I'm also curious as to what's holding me back, I'm not a hasty tattoo bearer but its beenon my mind for a few years now. I can't help wonder if this is what all tattoo wearers experience, or what makes non-tattoo wearer not get one? I am a true lover of tattoo art and all the glory that goes with it. I'll share a few of a my recent finds:
(dribble!) x
In the last week I have encounted these lovely wallpapers...one in a bathroom and the other in a cafe...but can you guess which is where?...
Our newest member @MonkeyvsRobots has inspired me to share some of my photos of favourite street art finds over the years...I encourage you to do the same! Please post your graffiti finds and share weblinks etc! Its so hard to choose them - but here's a select few...
Rotterdam street art van
Amsterdam (Jordaan)
MuTATE event, Portobello Market, London
MuTATE event, Portobello Market, London
- see more photos from both of these events on my website www.arell.co.uk
I was recently shared a phenonemonal discovery by geeks Debbie & Ralph and it easily soaks up all of my admiration for the week...no year...no life!
This is the wonderful concept, design and process undertaken by Nicholas Felton. He creates an annual report of his life EVERY YEAR! With astonishing, inspirational documentation and beautiful graphics - I can't help but be wowed-over: http://feltron.com/
I have been following Lim Heng Swee for a couple of years now from Threadless t-shirt designs (for which she's won a bunch of awards). Her work is described as simple, clever and fun - yet intricate and thoughful. In her own words...
I would describe my work as simple and fun, but with a strong idea or message behind it. Life should be fun and humorous when possible and I hope that my illustrations generate a sense of joy and happiness. I would like o think that they inspire people in their everyday lives.
(I love Uuuuuuuuuuu)
(Vision)
(When I grow up)
Images from Lim Heng Swee's blog
For instant smiles - please check out more fab artwork and collaboration pieces on her site: www.ilovedoodle.com
I'm definitley putting a Lim Heng Swee t-shirt on my birthday list this year!
I have been following NIKI PILKINGTON's blog for about a year or so and I'm always blown-over by her stunning portraits mixed with her conceptual 3D work. I'm even more excited about seeing it at Pick Me UP 2012 and hopefully gettin my mits on a print...or two! x
See more from Niki here: Niki Pilkington.com
I'm loving these origami candles - 'Candle Sail' by Roman Ficek, Slovakia. I'm a origami nut - so these are rightup my steet and = beautiful battle ships in the bath too!
Courtsey of jeaniejeanie
I'm not a grafitti expert or anything but I am for sure a big lover and have been for as long as I can remember...I went from anti-banksy to very banksy to undecided on what is street art to anything is street art! But really I always loved any message that just embraced it's environment in a creative way. Maybe the artist I admire most is non-other than Belgiums Roa. Roa is renowned for his visceral black and white animals that can be found slumbering in cities all over the world, in varying degrees of decay. London has been visited by Roa on a number of occasions and he has left us some fantastic work around Shoreditch, Hackney, Brick Lane and along Regents Canal.
Typical Roa master peices...
I've actually just stumbbled on a London Roa Map that I'm going to propse a geek meet up if anyone is interested?
Looking back at my stash of Roa images, I disturbed a memory in my head of a 3D painting style introduced to me back in 1999 called 'Reverspectives' . The memory derives from a guy (Gal) that became a great friend back at college. He was a talented and impressive artist that was serving the end of his sentance on day-release and producing 3D art I'd never seen before. Gal, created a peice of art that will always stay in my mind of the view from his prison cell door repeatingly open and closing. A 'reversespective' inspired by his friend and artist Patrick Hughes.
"Reverspectives are three-dimensional paintings that when viewed from the front, initially give the impression of viewing a painted flat surface that shows a perspective view. However as soon as the viewer moves their head even slightly the three dimensional surface that supports the perspective view accentuates the depth of the image and accelerates the shifting perspective far more than the brain normally allows. This provides a powerful and often disorienting impression of depth and movement. Patrick Hughes takes full advantage of this effect in his use of surrealist images that reinforce the altered reality of the viewer. The illusion is made possible by painting the view in reverse to the relief of the surface, that is, the bits that stick furthest out from the painting are painted with the most distant part of the scene. This is where the term reverse perspective or Reverspective comes from"
A typical Patrick Hughes painting video...
I love Holland (been 7times so far!) so have to include this aweome Patrick Hughes image:
The 3D art is painted onto wooden projecting prisms...
This is going to be the social pit-stop for our creative loves. Geekhearts gives you your own profile page, portfolio, blog and forum to share, care, inspire and to be noticed for spending a little too long on the those tiny details that no-one else will spot. A True Geek love!
Becky, Chief Geekhearter
